Uroqid-Acid No 2 News

FRIDAY, June 30, 2017 – Tubes called catheters that are used to draw and return blood to the body during dialysis appear to cause the majority of bloodstream infections in people receiving dialysis for kidney problems, a new study finds. Three-quarters of bloodstream infections in dialysis patients were related to accessing their blood, the 2014 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data showed. The information came from more than 6,000 outpatient dialysis centers in 2014. There were nearly 30,000 bloodstream infections reported, the study found. The analysis also found that 63 percent of all bloodstream infections and 70 percent of access-related bloodstream infections occurred in patients with a central venous catheter – also called a central line. Other dialysis complication rates were also highest among patients using central venous catheters, the findings showed. ... Read more

THURSDAY, June 15, 2017 – About 20 percent of U.S. hospital patients who receive antibiotics experience side effects from the drugs, researchers report. The new study included nearly 1,500 hospitalized adults who were prescribed antibiotics. The findings revealed that one-fifth of those who experienced antibiotic-related side effects didn't require the drugs in the first place. The results add to growing evidence that antibiotics are overused, according to the Johns Hopkins Hospital researchers. "Too often, clinicians prescribe antibiotics even if they have a low suspicion for a bacterial infection, thinking that even if antibiotics may not be necessary, they are probably not harmful. But that is not always the case," said Dr. Pranita Tamma. She is director of the hospital's Pediatric Antimicrobial Stewardship Program. Antibiotics can cause real harm and doctors should always consider ... Read more

MONDAY, Jan. 23, 2017 – Improved catheter safety measures in hospitals significantly reduce bloodstream infections and health care costs, a new study indicates. "Safety interventions are a win-win for both patients and hospitals," said study leader Dr. Teryl Nuckols of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. She is director of the center's division of general internal medicine. More than 60,000 primary bloodstream infections related to central venous catheters occur each year in the United States. About 12 percent of these infections end in death, according to background notes with the study. These catheters, also known as central lines, are widely used in intensive care units. They're placed in large veins in the arm, chest, neck or groin to deliver medications, fluids or blood to patients. To prevent serious infections, hospitals have introduced new safety procedures in recent ... Read more

-- Antibiotic resistance applies when bacteria are no longer eliminated by a medicine that's supposed to kill them. Experts blame the problem on improper use of antibiotic medications. Here's what you can do to help, according to the World Health Organization: Only take antibiotics when prescribed by a health professional. Always finish the entire supply of antibiotics. Stopping too soon may allow the bacteria to continue living. Never save antibiotics for later use or use leftover antibiotics, and never share antibiotics with someone else. To help reduce the risk of infection in the first place, wash your hands often, get vaccinations and limit your contact with sick people. Read more

MONDAY, Sept. 19, 2016 – Despite growing concerns about creating drug-resistant bacteria, overprescribing of antibiotics in U.S. hospitals didn't drop between 2006 and 2012, according to a new federal report. Over that time period, 55 percent of patients received at least one dose of antibiotics during their hospital stay, whether it was needed or not, researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. "Antibiotic use remains common, and use of the most powerful antibiotics is rising," said lead researcher James Baggs, a CDC epidemiologist. Although the use of antibiotics remained about the same during the study period, a significant increase was seen in the use of newer antibiotics, Baggs said. "Because inappropriate antibiotic use increases the risk of antibiotic resistance and other side effects, continued monitoring of antibiotic use is critical to future ... Read more

FRIDAY, May 27, 2016 – U.S. researchers have identified the nation's first patient with an infection resistant to all existing antibiotics. Scientists have warned for years the day could come when "superbugs" resisted all last-resort antibiotics. This new case, involving a 49-year-old Pennsylvania woman, suggests that day may soon be here. "It is the end of the road for antibiotics unless we act urgently," Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a National Press Club event in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. Although the patient survived, it's feared the resistance could spread to other bacteria, according to media reports. The woman was treated last month for a urinary tract infection at a military clinic in Pennsylvania. The culprit was identified as E. coli bacteria. It's a common type of germ. But in this case, tests showed it was ... Read more

THURSDAY, Dec. 24, 2015 – Patients can be taught to safely self-administer long-term intravenous antibiotics at home, without the help of a health care worker, a new study suggests. The finding could have a significant impact on uninsured patients who might otherwise spend weeks in a hospital receiving IV care, according to researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. "This really taps into human potential, giving a voice to the uninsured at the same time that it offers an opportunity for enormous cost savings to hospitals," study first author Dr. Kavita Bhavan, assistant professor of internal medicine, said in a medical center news release. Some infections require treatment with IV antibiotics for six weeks or more. Patients with insurance typically go home or to a nursing home and have their antibiotics administered by a home health care worker or ... Read more

-- By taking an antibiotic as prescribed, you can get well faster and help prevent germs from becoming resistant to your medication. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers these antibiotic guidelines: Never skip a dose of antibiotic. Always take it on schedule, as directed. Never stop taking an antibiotic early. Always take the entire prescription, unless your doctor tells you otherwise. Never save any antibiotic medication for a future illness. Never take an antibiotic that was prescribed for another person. Read more

TUESDAY, Aug. 4, 2015 – An immediate, focused effort to halt the spread of antibiotic-resistant germs could save tens of thousands of lives and prevent hundreds of thousands of new infections over the next five years, a new government report suggests. As many as 37,000 lives could be saved, and 619,000 new infections prevented, if community health departments and health care facilities form tight support networks to quickly identify and address emerging outbreaks of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, said report author Dr. John Jernigan. He directs the Office of HAI (Health care-Associated Infections) Prevention Research and Evaluation at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "When health care facilities and health departments in a community work together to share information about resistance, and then use that information to guide and target prevention efforts, then we ... Read more

THURSDAY, Oct. 9, 2014 – Although food allergies have garnered a lot of attention lately, a new study reports that medications are actually the biggest cause of sudden deaths related to allergy. Over a little more than a decade, nearly 60 percent of the allergy-related deaths were caused by medications, while less than 7 percent were caused by food allergies, the study found. "Medications can be dangerous," said study researcher Dr. Elina Jerschow, director of the Drug Allergy Center at Montefiore Medical Center and assistant professor of medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, in New York City. While research from other countries has reported medications as a major culprit in anaphylaxis-related deaths, Jerschow said, the problem has been less defined in the United States. One reason is that there is no national registry for anaphylaxis deaths, she said. The study was ... Read more

FRIDAY, Sept. 13 – A local, low-cost information campaign that was primarily aimed at patients – although involving doctors and pharmacists as well – helped reduce antibiotic prescribing, according to a new study from Italy. Overuse of antibiotics is considered a major global public health concern because it can lead to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Unnecessary and inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics is common. This study, published Sept. 12 on BMJ.com, looked at an antibiotic education campaign implemented by local health officials in the provinces of Modena and Parma in 2011 to 2012. Nearby provinces where no such campaigns were implemented acted as a control group. Italy has one of the highest levels of antibiotic use in Europe, according to a journal news release. The campaign was designed to inform the general population that antibiotics are necessary in ... Read more

THURSDAY, Aug. 8 – Giving probiotics to older adults who are prescribed antibiotics does not reduce their risk of diarrhea, a new study finds. Diarrhea is a common and sometimes life-threatening side effect of antibiotics in elderly patients. Some previous research has suggested that giving these patients probiotic supplements might lower the risk of diarrhea, and the practice has become routine in some hospitals. This study included nearly 3,000 hospital patients, aged 65 and older, in Great Britain who had been prescribed one or more antibiotics. About half of the patients took one probiotic capsule a day for 21 days, while the other patients took a placebo. Both groups of patients had similar rates of diarrhea (about one in 10), and its frequency and severity were similar in both groups, according to the study, which was published Aug. 7 in the journal The Lancet. It is believed ... Read more

THURSDAY, June 27 – Nearly 70 percent of Americans take prescription drugs, with antibiotics, antidepressants and painkillers being the most widely used, according to a new study. Researchers also found that more than half of patients take two prescription drugs, while 20 percent take five or more prescription medications. One other key finding: "As you get older you tend to get more prescriptions, and women tend to get more prescriptions than men," study author Dr. Jennifer St. Sauver, of the Mayo Clinic Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, said in a Mayo news release. The findings come from an analysis of 2009 statistics from people living in Olmsted County, Minn., near the Mayo Clinic. St. Sauver believes the findings are comparable to people living elsewhere in the United States. According to the study, 17 percent of patients took antibiotics, 13 percent took ... Read more

-- Your child must take an antibiotic according to a doctor's prescription or label instructions, to make sure the medicine works properly and doesn't foster drug-resistant bacteria. The American Academy of Pediatrics offers these tips for parents: Make sure your child takes the entire course of medication exactly as prescribed. Give your child an antibiotic prescribed just for him or her; never share an antibiotic prescribed for someone else. Schedule any follow-up appointment recommended by your pediatrician after the antibiotic is finished – for example, an ear exam after an ear infection. Be sure to call the pediatrician if your child has finished an antibiotic and still isn't feeling well. Read more

TUESDAY, Nov. 13 – Americans are not as smart about antibiotics and antibiotic resistance as they should be, a new poll shows. For instance, although almost 90 percent of Americans know that antibiotics are effective for treating bacterial infections, more than a third also erroneously believed the drugs can fight viral infections such as the common cold or the flu. "It's a common misperception that antibiotics can cure the common cold, and unnecessary overuse of antibiotics for illnesses like colds is dumping fuel on a wildfire of resistance," said Dr. Lauri Hicks, medical director of the "Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work" program at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The number of antibiotic-resistant "superbugs" is soaring. In 2005, almost 370,000 Americans were hospitalized with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), up from only about 2,000 in ... Read more